One year after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was supposed to end the war in Gaza, the agreement remains largely nominal as Israeli strikes continue and humanitarian conditions deteriorate. More than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since the October 10, 2025 accord, while international organizations and regional mediators grapple with deep strategic divisions over Hamas’s disarmament and postwar governance.
Daily Strikes and Ongoing Casualties Across the Gaza Strip
A year after the ceasefire agreement was reached with United States backing, more than 100 humanitarian, human rights, and civil society organizations declared that the accord exists only on paper. Despite the initial halt to major military operations and the return of hostages, Israeli forces have continued launching regular airstrikes and artillery shelling across the territory.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,400 people since the start of the ceasefire on October 10, 2025. The overall death toll from Israeli military actions since the war began on October 7, 2023, now stands at more than 74,000, with 175,267 wounded. The conflict was originally triggered by a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.
On the ground, residents face a daily reality of military actions, displacement, and economic collapse. Israeli forces have also pushed the physical presence of ground troops westward, (wral.com) seizing more territory and moving the designated Yellow Line
toward the Mediterranean Sea. Palestinians approaching this dividing zone have frequently been shot dead. Throughout the conflict, the Palestinian Ministry of Health recorded thousands of deaths, though officials note that these figures count only deaths recorded at hospitals or officially registered.
Humanitarian Crisis and the Stalled Reconstruction of Gaza
With roughly 90% of the territory’s infrastructure destroyed, reconstruction has failed to begin. The European Union and the United Nations estimate that recovery and reconstruction needs in Gaza will reach US$71.4 billion over the next decade. Yet restrictions on equipment and building materials have left families unable to rebuild. On September 23, the Board of Peace presented a six-month recovery program ready to begin when funding and access allow, but one year later no efforts have commenced.
In September 2026, a damaged building housing approximately 100 people collapsed, killing 21 people, including 12 children. Humanitarian access remains severely restricted, and health and education sectors are shattered, with 93 percent of schools destroyed or damaged at the start of the academic year. According to the Palestine Shelter Cluster, ninety-four percent of Gaza’s population lacks adequate shelter based on a survey of nearly 2,000 households.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total deaths since Oct 7, 2023 | More than 74,000 | Gaza Health Ministry / UN |
| Deaths since Oct 10, 2025 ceasefire | More than 1,400 | Gaza Health Ministry |
| Estimated reconstruction cost | US$71.4 billion | EU and UN |
| Population facing acute food insecurity | 67 percent (1.4 million people) | Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) |
Food security remains at crisis levels. The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) reported that 67 percent of the population—over 1.4 million people—are expected to face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity
through the end of 2026.
Diplomatic Friction Over the Disarmament Roadmap and Regional Mediators
Efforts by international mediators have encountered severe political roadblocks. The plan was developed with co-signers Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey serving as the key Middle East mediators. Historically, Cairo views Hamas as a threat and treats it as a terrorist organization, while Qatar has hosted the Hamas leadership in Doha since 2012 at Washington’s request.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the implementation timeline, announcing that Israel would not withdraw from any part of Gaza until after Hamas has been completely disarmed. This friction coincides with domestic political pressures in Israel ahead of upcoming elections that could end his nearly unbroken 17-year rule.
Meanwhile, regional mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey maintain deep strategic differences regarding Hamas.
Israel Blocks Election Preparations in Gaza and Jerusalem
The Israeli government refused to allow the commission into Gaza and Jerusalem to oversee preparations, creating an additional institutional barrier. With Hamas weakened but retaining administrative and security grips in parts of the Strip, and with Israeli leadership warning of potential security escalations as Prime Minister Netanyahu told his cabinet that Hamas might try to challenge Israel ahead of elections, the path forward remains highly uncertain.